


i know it's forever with you

by mazzledazzl3



Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018) Actor RPF
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Marriage Proposal, date, proposal, they own a dog, title: daughtry - cinderella
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-13
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-12-14 16:48:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21019031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mazzledazzl3/pseuds/mazzledazzl3
Summary: Joe stood up in front of Rami, then kneeled down on one knee in front of him. He took the box out of his pocket and opened it to reveal the engagement ring inside.“Rami, will you do me the great honor, and marry me?”





	i know it's forever with you

**Author's Note:**

> i apologize for my absence! i will try not to be absent that long again. this is a little something i wrote to cheer myself up and get into the fall mood. enjoy!

The seasons quickly tumbled from summer into fall. The leaves were falling off of the trees, and the air and food was filled with the scent and flavor of pumpkin spice. Everyone adorned sweaters or light jackets. Many couples took advantage of the often romanticized weather.

Joe was one of those people.

He was scrolling through his Instagram feed, liking and occasionally leaving a witty comment on his friend's posts. Everything seemed to have a tree with orange, red and brown leaves on it in the background, or a happy couple drinking beverages from Starbucks with leaf emojis in the caption. It felt like a Hallmark movie.

Joe sighed; he hadn't been able to post anything about him and Rami lately. He had to run everything by Rami first. Rami didn't approve of a single picture. Not even one of the two of them and their dog, Deacon. He understood though; Rami hated social media with a passion. Joe had accepted that long before they began dating.

He let his hand drop down to his leg, more specifically, his left pocket. He felt a stiff, cube-shaped object in his pocket. It made him smile. _Today is perfect,_ he thought. He pulled the velvet-covered object out of his pocket. It was a small box. Inside, it held a very precious piece of jewelry: an engagement ring. Joe had been planning to propose for weeks. Now that it was fall, he thought it was the perfect time. He looked down at it with pride. _Thank goodness Deacon hasn't eaten this yet._ He felt confident in his plan. He had planned out the perfect place, mentally written the perfect speech. He just had to find a way to be subtle about it.

Joe flinched at the sound of the doorknob rattling. He knew Rami was home from walking Deacon. He shoved the box back in his pocket, and busied himself with his phone once again. _Hopefully I don't look like I'm faking. And they're back in one piece._

“Joey, I'm home!” Rami said as he stepped inside his and Joe's apartment. He looked over at Joe and shook his head, “And you're buried in your phone.” He felt Deacon impatiently wagging his tail and pulling on his leash at his feet. Rami kneeled down and unclipped the leash from Deacon's collar. Deacon bolted towards Joe. He jumped into his lap, covering him with sloppy kisses and knocking his phone out of his hand. The device slid across the floor, stopping just a few feet in front of Rami.

“Deacon- Deacon- Stop!” Joe forced out through laughter. He tried to push the large dog off of him, but it proved to be impossible. He couldn't stop laughing. Even with the entire weight of a Labrador Retriever on top of him. “Deacon, I know you and Daddy are home, let me live!” _He is literally going to smother me with love._

“I believe he thinks the same,” Rami chuckled as he picked up Joe's phone from the floor and crossed the room over to the sofa. “Settle down now, Deacon, your dad needs to breathe,” he said as he sat down next to Joe. He let out a low whistle, and Deacon settled down with his head in Joe's lap. He stretched out across both Joe and Rami, thumping his tail happily.

“Thank you,” Joe said as Rami gave him his phone back. He set it on the table next to the sofa. “How was your walk with Deaky?” He scratched Deacon behind the ear, making the dog's tail thump even faster.

“Refreshing,” Rami replied. “He wanted to chase every squirrel we passed.” He could still feel the way Deacon would jerk his arm as he ran towards the smallest movement. He made a mental note to work on training Deacon how to walk on a leash properly.

“I hope you're not too busy tonight,” Joe said, trying not to sound too focused. He continued to look down at Deacon. _Deacon is the best wingman,_ he thought. _He can't rat me out whenever I make plans._

“No... Why?”

“Because we are going out tonight,” Joe said as he finally looked up at Rami with a confident smile. “8 PM.” He knew he could take Rami where they had their first date, which happened soon after they finished filming The Pacific. It was a small, cheap restaurant, not far from their apartment complex. They were both unsure with themselves then, but now, they knew who they were supposed to be, and who they loved. It was easier to be in each other's company.

“I would ask where you are taking me, but I assume you're keeping that a surprise?” Rami asked.

“You're right, my love.”

Rami chuckled, _Of course._ He had been dating Joe long enough to predict a majority of his acts. They always ended with him being happy, so he never said anything bad about them. Joe - along with Deacon - made his life more interesting. He didn't want to spend his life with anyone other than Joe. It made him think about the small, velvet-covered box he had purchased a week prior. It contained something that was a symbol to a new chapter of his life: an engagement ring. _He won't see this coming,_ Rami thought proudly as he looked at Joe.

Eight o'clock came slowly. Joe thought the time would never pass. He would check his watch or phone, but only a minute - or less - would have passed. Both he and Rami were ready to go. They made sure Deacon was ready to be left alone for a few hours. They put everything that was fragile out of reach of Deacon and told him goodbye before they left. 

“Are you sure he'll be okay alone?” Rami asked as they walked down the sidewalk, which was still brightly lit up by streetlights and signs as if it were daytime. “He's never been alone for more than an hour since we adopted him.” They usually left Deacon with a family member or dogsitter if they had to leave for long periods of time.

“He'll be fine, Rami,” Joe said as he took Rami's hand. “He was playing with his favorite toy when we left. He can find ways to entertain himself.” Joe smiled gently at Rami, trying to comfort him. Rami still looked a bit anxious. _If he's this bad with a dog, he'd be ten times worse with human children,_ Joe thought. He kissed Rami's cheek as they walked, hand-in-hand.

“We're walking?” Rami asked, trying to take his mind off of Deacon. He had to convince himself he would be fine alone. _He's a dog, for goodness sake._ Even if it was a way to distract himself, he was genuinely curious as to why they were walking instead of hailing a cab.

“You'll see.” Joe felt like he could sprint the rest of the way. He could feel his body tremble ever so slightly with excitement. He hoped it wasn't evident in his hands. Tonight, he planned to get engaged to the love of his life. He was ready to add a new chapter to his life. A life married to Rami.

Rami nodded, _He's actually surprising me. Good thing I have a surprise of my own._ He reached down into his pocket and felt the box. He had almost forgotten it on his nightstand, which would leave it in Deacon's reach. It would be a chew toy in minutes around the young dog. 

Joe felt he would surprise Rami, too, by proposing. He, too, couldn't stop thinking about the engagement ring. He couldn't wait to see Rami's expression when he got down on one knee. He knew doing it in public could be risky, but he was ready. The restaurant he was taking Rami to didn't serve celebrities often, so he was sure paparazzi weren't hiding there, waiting for someone like a cheetah to a gazelle. He also knew, without a doubt, Rami would say yes to his proposal. _Hopefully a fan won't sneak a photo before we can formally announce our engagement,_ Joe thought. _I know that will make him upset._

“You just had to pick the coldest night to go on a date,” Rami teased as he pulled his jacket closer to his body.. He could feel his hands start to shake. He assumed it was cold over nerves - for now. It was colder than the average autumn night.

“Never fear, Rami, we're here!” Joe said as he opened the door for Rami. “M'lady,” he said with a sly wink. Rami grinned as he playfully shoved Joe's shoulder in reply. He then walked through the door, and Joe followed behind. “Does this lo-”

“This is where we went on our first date ever,” Rami gasped as he looked at the familiar booths, designs on the walls, and menus. Their first date was a foggy memory he would cherish forever. He wasn't sure of himself in that time, but it lead him to the love of his life. He couldn't stop smiling as he looked around at the small restaurant. It was warm and inviting. All of the pleasant memories he had made there with Joe came flooding back. _You got me this time, Mazzello._

_He remembered,_ Joe thought. It warmed his heart to know Rami remembered "their place". The place where they would hide away and talk for hours about a little bit of nothing after The Pacific. It was like 2008 all over again. 

Joe asked the hostess for a booth for two, in the back. She recognized him and Rami from Bohemian Rhapsody, but didn't make a big deal of it. She showed them to their table. As she laid the menus down on it, Joe realized it was the exact place they had sat on their first date. The night was playing out to be more than perfect.

The two sat down across from each other. Joe suddenly felt coy, as if he was on his first date again. _It's nerves,_ he thought. _I can't back out tonight, not after I worked up all this courage._ His shyness slipped away when Rami was the one to start their conversation.__

_ _“Well, Joe, you definitely surprised me tonight,” Rami said, “you've outdone yourself.” _And I will repay you later.__ _

_ _Joe grinned, “Happy to hear you like it. You deserve the best, love.” _Don't let it slip, don't let your voice falter. This is just like any other date._ He knew if he let himself overthink even the slightest bit, he'd back out._ _

_ _Before Rami could reply, a waitress walked up to their table to take their drink orders. She wrote them down as they told her, and she headed back towards the kitchen. _They always interrupt at the perfect time,_ Rami thought, though he wasn't actually irritated. He opened his menu, scanning each option. The ring box in his pocket felt like a hot branding iron. He knew he wouldn't be able to forget about it the entire night. _I can do this,_ he told himself. _He may have asked me out, but I can do this.__ _

_ _“I wonder what Deacon is doing right about now,” Rami said absentmindedly. _ _

_ _“He's probably laying down, asleep somewhere, being lazy,” Joe replied. “I bet he acts halfway normal when we're not around.”_ _

_ _“He's fine the way he is,” Rami stated, looking up at Joe. He could see the playful, daring look in Joe's eyes. _Two can play at this game._ “At least he doesn't steal all the blankets at night.”_ _

_ _“Are you trying to say that Deacon is more pleasant to share a bed with?”_ _

_ _“Perhaps.” Rami couldn't hide his smirk. He loved teasing Joe about Deacon being the better partner in crime. _ _

_ _Joe placed his hand over his heart with an overdramatic gasp. “I have been hurt, how dare you. I am sure he'll be willing to share the couch with you tonight.”_ _

_ _Rami rolled his eyes at him. He then glanced around the room, to see if he and Joe were safe. _Nobody's staring, we're good._ “You're so dramatic, I love you.”_ _

_ _“I love you, too,” Joe replied. He reached out and took Rami's hand from across the table. _What would it look like with an engagement ring on it?_ He wondered as he looked down at Rami's hand. He assumed it would be perfect._ _

_ _The waitress came back with their drinks, and she was ready to take their orders. They each ordered for themselves. The waitress wrote everything down quickly before heading back to the kitchen. Joe knew his time to prepare was running out. He looked over at Rami, then down at his pocket. _I'm really going to change our lives tonight, huh?_ Rami thought the same thing as he looked at Joe. The only thing they had to figure out was who would propose first._ _

_ _-_ _

_ _As the night was winding down, and they were both finished with their meals, and the bill was paid, Joe couldn't stop thinking. He couldn't stop thinking about getting down on one knee and asking Rami to marry him. He knew he could always wait until they got home, but he wanted it done. He knew they were never going to break up or stop loving each other._ _

_ _Rami noticed the silence in between them. _Is this my cue?_ He touched the box in his pocket one more time, but it didn't feel right. Instead, he looked across at Joe, who was looking down with a blank expression while biting his lip. “It's quiet," Rami commented. “What're you thinking about?”_ _

_ _Joe almost flinched at the sound of Rami's voice. He looked up at him instantly. His mind was blank. The speech - which was actually just a few words telling Rami about how he loved him - he had prepared was useless now. He shook his head, and took a deep breath. _I've got this._ “You know I love you, right, Rami?” he asked as he took both of Rami's hands. _ _

_ _Rami nodded, then kissed one of Joe's hands. “I've always known that,” he replied. “And I love you, too.”_ _

_ _Joe swore he felt his heart skip a beat. _He still has that affect on me. He's The One. Definitely._ “Then this should be easy.” He took Rami's hand, and looked into his eyes. He could feel his heart racing, and his whole body was trembling, but he had never been more certain of something in his whole life. He knew who he was meant to spend the rest of his life with._ _

_ _“Rami Said Malek, you have made me the happiest man on the planet for the past 13 years. We've laughed together, sang together, created great things together, even cried and lost together. There has never been a dull moment with you,” he paused briefly with a nervous laugh, and collected his thoughts. He could feel people's eyes on him and Rami. “I knew you'd always be there for me. You always can put a smile on my face and put my worries at ease. You've lightened up my whole world. So, Rami...”_ _

_ _Joe stood up in front of Rami, then kneeled down on one knee in front of him. He took the box out of his pocket and opened it to reveal the engagement ring inside. He couldn't form a single, coherent thought, but he knew what he was supposed to do. He smiled up at Rami with tears in his eyes. The when restaurant went silent. “Rami, will you do me the great honor, and marry me?”_ _

_ _Rami was now standing in front of him. He gasped, covering his mouth with his hands in shock. His heart was racing now, too. “Yes,” he gasped out. “Yes, Joe, yes!” He blinked, and felt tears rolling down his cheeks. _ _

_ _Joe stood up and pulled Rami into a hug. They could hear clapping and various shouts of congratulations from fellow patrons. They were both crying, telling each other how much they loved the other repeatedly. Joe pulled away first, and slipped the engagement ring on Rami's finger. He and Rami shared a kiss, and looked longingly into each other's eyes. Joe rested his forehead against Rami's. “You're the love of my life.”_ _

_ _“Uhebbuk,” Rami whispered in reply. “I love you more than anything in the world.” He almost pulled Joe into another kiss, but sensing all the people around them made him shy. He settled for not letting go of Joe's hand._ _

_ _“You're the best man in the universe,” Joe said. “My fiancé.” _I'm so glad I can actually say that now!__ _

_ _“Something tells me you're going to wear that word out before we even start wedding planning,” Rami said with a smirk. Although, deep down, he wanted to do the same. He couldn't wait to tell everyone he was engaged to the love of his life._ _

_ _“Absolutely,” Joe replied with a sly smile. “Perhaps we should take this elsewhere.” Rami nodded in reply. Joe held his hand as they walked out of the restaurant. There was a new spring in each man's step. Even though it was getting late, they were wide awake._ _

_ _Many of their fellow patrons congratulated them on their engagement as they walked out, as if they were regular people instead of celebrities. Joe couldn't stop looking over at Rami and smiling proudly. He'd glance down at their hands, and think: _My fiancé. My future husband. I did it, dad. I'm getting married._ He knew his and Rami's families would be unbelievably happy to hear the news.___ _

_ _ _ __So he did it first,_ Rami thought as they walked down the sidewalk, hand-in-hand, in a comfortable silence. The night air was crisp and cold. Rami could see his breath condense in front of him as he breathed._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _“Got something on your mind?” Joe asked at they walked._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Rami looked up at him. _He's not even looking at me._ “How'd you know?” he asked._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _“You had that look on your face.”_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Rami did not question how Joe saw it anymore, and just smiled. He could still feel the ring box in his pocket. “I planned on proposing tonight, too.”_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Joe slowed his walking and looked over at Rami with wide eyes. “R-Really?”_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Rami nodded, “Yes.” He let go of Joe's hand, pulled the ring box out of his pocket. He held it out for Joe to see. “I knew you were The One, too, Joey. You have lightened up my life, and I don't know where I would be without you. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me,” he added as he put the box back in his pocket. _I don't think I'd even be dating anyone right now, or comfortable enough with myself, in fact, without him.__ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Joe could feel himself blushing. “You're the best thing that has happened to me, too, my prince.” He took Rami's hand once again. “Don't ever forget how much I love and appreciate you.” He placed a kiss on Rami's hand. He smirked at the way Rami's face flushed red immediately. He pretended he didn't notice, and lead the way home. Rami leaned against him lazily. Despite the time, the night was still young. There were many ways they could end the night. No matter what they did, both Rami and Joe thought it was already more than perfect._ _ _ _


End file.
